Testimony: June MassDOT Board Meeting
June 25, 2026
On June 17, Tom Ryan provided testimony to the MassDOT Board of Directors in support of the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project. Please see the complete testimony below and reach out to Tom Ryan with any questions.
Secretary Phil Eng and members of the MassDOT Board,
My name is Tom Ryan, and I am a Senior Advisor at A Better City. I am here today to testify about the Draft FY27–31 MassDOT Capital Investment Plan (CIP).
A Better City understands this draft CIP cannot address every need and challenge in our statewide transportation system. But we believe there is one project that deserves additional funding capacity in the final five-year CIP: the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project. It is important that MassDOT adjusts the CIP for years FY27–31 so you can properly move forward on the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project.
The I-90 Allston Multimodal Project (AMP) is one of the most transformative public infrastructure investments in New England. It is not just a transportation project that improves the roadways and increases public transit. It is a community building and economic development project and delivers many housing and environmental benefits. No other state infrastructure project can produce this level of impact across multiple policy goals.
Unfortunately, the draft FY27–31 CIP does not properly budget enough funding to allow it to move into construction within the next five years. Also, these numbers in the draft plan are inconsistent with many public statements of support for the project from the Healey-Driscoll Administration.
I understand MassDOT is considering an engineering review of the project after the loss of the federal infrastructure grant in 2025. That process is separate from what MassDOT put into the budget documents for the next five years.
The Commonwealth should be able to complete the environmental permitting process and figure out the design, while also maintain budget capacity so the project can move forward into construction before what would be the end of the Governor’s 2nd term.
So we are asking you to adjust the budget for FY28-31, so there is budget flexibility to being early actions, complete the design, and begin construction without any unnecessary delays. This would show the project is a priority to MassDOT.
The draft CIP includes $294 million, but I believe that there should be more than twice that amount. You also should be utilizing the financial resources that are already within the state’s control: The Governor is promising $615 Million in state capital dollars and there is another $200 million promised to the project from PAYGO capital from MHS tolls. This money should added to the final CIP and use for this this great project.
Thank you.
